Stiffening strut for garage door panels

Abstract

A stiffening strut to be used in conjunction with a rear surface of a garage door panel having a given width-wise length, formed in a generally U-shaped body. First and second sidewalls each with a bottom side edge and a top side edge, a front edge and a rear edge, the bottom side edge extends to first lengthwise mounting sleeve having an interior edge aligned with said bottom side edge, the first mounting sleeve having an outer edge parallel to the inner edge, the first lengthwise mounting sleeve having a given width, the first lengthwise mounting sleeve having a multiplicity of spaced apart openings by which fastening means affix the stiffening strut to the top of a garage door panel.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A stiffening strut used in conjunction with a rear surface of a top widthwise panel of a garage door panel, said top widthwise panel having a given widthwise length beginning at a first widthwise end and terminating at a second widthwise end, said top widthwise panel including a multiplicity of spaced apart stiffening stiles, at least a first stiffening stile adjacent said first widthwise end of said top widthwise panel and at least a second stiffening stile adjacent said second widthwise end of said top widthwise panel, and at least one stiffening stile between the first and second stiffening stiles, said stiffening strut comprising:
 a. a generally U-shaped body having a height in a range from two (2) inches to three (3) inches, a given length approximately equal to said given widthwise length of said top widthwise panel of said garage door panel; 
 b. a first sidewall with a bottom side edge and a top side edge, a front edge and a rear edge, the bottom side edge extends to first lengthwise mounting sleeve having an interior edge aligned with said bottom side edge, a front edge aligned with the front edge of the first sidewall and a rear edge aligned with the rear edge of the first sidewall, said first lengthwise mounting sleeve having an outer edge parallel to the interior edge of the first lengthwise mounting sleeve, said first lengthwise mounting sleeve having a width in a range from one-quarter (¼) inch to one-half (½) inch, said first lengthwise mounting sleeve having a multiplicity of spaced apart openings, with an opening adjacent the front edge, an opening adjacent the rear edge, and at least one opening between the openings adjacent the respective front edge and rear edge; 
 c. a pair of parallel spaced apart longitudinal stiffening ribs in the first sidewall, a first stiffening rib having a front edge aligned with front edge of the first sidewall, a rear edge aligned with the rear edge of the first sidewall and extending inwardly toward an interior opening of the stiffening strut by a distance in a range of one-sixteenth ( 1/16) inch to one-eighth (⅛) inch, a second stiffening rib having a front edge aligned with the front edge of the first sidewall and a rear edge aligned with the rear edge of the first sidewall and extending inwardly toward the interior opening of the stiffening strut by a distance in a range of one-sixteenth ( 1/16) inch to one-eighth (⅛) inch; 
 d. a second sidewall with a bottom side edge and a top side edge, a front edge and a rear edge, the bottom side edge extends to a second lengthwise mounting sleeve having an interior edge aligned with said bottom side edge, a front edge aligned with the front edge of the second sidewall and a rear edge aligned with the rear edge of the second sidewall, said second lengthwise mounting sleeve having an outer edge parallel to the interior edge of the second lengthwise mounting sleeve, said second lengthwise mounting sleeve having a width in a range from one-quarter (¼) inch to one-half (½) inch, said second lengthwise mounting sleeve having a multiplicity of spaced apart openings, with an opening adjacent the front edge, an opening adjacent the rear edge, and at least one opening between the openings adjacent the respective front edge and rear edge; 
 e. a pair of parallel spaced apart longitudinal stiffening ribs in the second sidewall, a first stiffening rib having a front edge aligned with front edge of the second sidewall, a rear edge aligned with the rear edge of the second sidewall and extending inwardly toward the interior opening of the stiffening strut by a distance in a range of one-sixteenth ( 1/16) inch to one-eighth (⅛) inch, a second stiffening rib having a front edge aligned with the front edge of the second sidewall and a rear edge aligned with the rear edge of the second sidewall and extending inwardly toward the interior opening of the stiffening strut by a distance in a range of one-sixteenth ( 1/16) inch to one-eighth (⅛) inch; and 
 f. a top formed from an extension of the top side edge of the first sidewall extending inwardly to form part of the top and the top side edge of the second sidewall extending inwardly to form part of the top and integrally formed together along a longitudinal center of the top extending from said front edge of the stiffening strut to the rear edge of the stiffening strut, the top including a central stiffening rib extending from a front edge of the top to a rear edge of the top and extending inwardly and downwardly by a distance in the range of one-sixteenth ( 1/16) inch to one-eighth (⅛) inch into the opening of the stiffening strut, the central stiffening rib in the top formed along a location where the two inwardly extending top side edges are integrally formed and extending into adjacent locations of said two inwardly extending side edges; 
 g. whereby said outer edge of said first mounting sleeve is aligned with said top end of said top widthwise panel and said stiffening strut is affixed to the rear of said top widthwise panel of said garage door by fastening means selected from the group consisting of screws and rivets extending through a respective one of the multiplicity of openings in the respective first mounting sleeve and second mounting sleeve and into a respective aligned stiffening stile, the stiffening strut extending away from the back of said top widthwise panel of said garage door. 
 
     
     
       2. The stiffening strut in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a. said first sidewall having a given height and said first stiffening rib in said first sidewall is located at approximately one-third of said given height of said first sidewall and said second stiffening rib in said first sidewall is located at approximately two-thirds of said given height of said first sidewall; and 
 b. said second sidewall having a given height, and said first stiffening rib in said second sidewall is located at approximately one-third of said given height of said second sidewall and said second stiffening rib in said second sidewall is located at approximately two-thirds of said given height of said second sidewall. 
 
     
     
       3. A stiffening strut used in conjunction with a rear surface of a top widthwise panel of a garage door panel, said top widthwise panel having a given widthwise length beginning at a first widthwise end and terminating at a second widthwise end, said top widthwise panel including a multiplicity of spaced apart stiffening stiles, at least a first stiffening stile adjacent said first widthwise end of said top widthwise panel and at least a second stiffening stile adjacent said second widthwise end of said top widthwise panel, and at least one stiffening stile between the first and second stiffening stiles, said stiffening strut comprising:
 a. a generally U-shaped body having a height in a range from two (2) inches to three (3) inches, a given length approximately equal to said given widthwise length of said top widthwise panel of said garage door panel; 
 b. a first sidewall with a bottom side edge and a top side edge, a front edge and a rear edge, the bottom side edge extends to first lengthwise mounting sleeve having an interior edge aligned with said bottom side edge, a front edge aligned with the front edge of the first sidewall and a rear edge aligned with the rear edge of the first sidewall, said first lengthwise mounting sleeve having an outer edge parallel to the interior edge of the first lengthwise mounting sleeve, said first lengthwise mounting sleeve having a width in a range from one-quarter (¼) inch to one-half (½) inch, said first lengthwise mounting sleeve having a multiplicity of spaced apart openings, with an opening adjacent the front edge, an opening adjacent the rear edge, and at least one opening between the openings adjacent the respective front edge and rear edge; 
 c. a pair of parallel spaced apart longitudinal stiffening ribs in the first sidewall, a first stiffening rib having a front edge aligned with front edge of the first sidewall, a rear edge aligned with the rear edge of the first sidewall and extending outwardly away from an interior opening of the stiffening strut by a distance in a range of one-sixteenth ( 1/16) inch to one-eighth (⅛) inch, a second stiffening rib having a front edge aligned with the front edge of the first sidewall and a rear edge aligned with the rear edge of the first sidewall and extending outwardly away from the interior opening of the stiffening strut by a distance in a range of one-sixteenth ( 1/16) inch to one-eighth (⅛) inch; 
 d. a second sidewall with a bottom side edge and a top side edge, a front edge and a rear edge, the bottom side edge extends to a second lengthwise mounting sleeve having an interior edge aligned with said bottom side edge, a front edge aligned with the front edge of the second sidewall and a rear edge aligned with the rear edge of the second sidewall, said second lengthwise mounting sleeve having an outer edge parallel to the interior edge of the second lengthwise mounting sleeve, said second lengthwise mounting sleeve having a width in a range from one-quarter (¼) inch to one-half (½) inch, said second lengthwise mounting sleeve having a multiplicity of spaced apart openings, with an opening adjacent the front edge, an opening adjacent the rear edge, and at least one opening between the openings adjacent the respective front edge and rear edge; 
 e. a pair of parallel spaced apart longitudinal stiffening ribs in the second sidewall, a first stiffening rib having a front edge aligned with front edge of the second sidewall, a rear edge aligned with the rear edge of the second sidewall and extending outwardly away from the interior opening of the stiffening strut by a distance in a range of one-sixteenth ( 1/16) inch to one-eighth (⅛) inch, a second stiffening rib having a front edge aligned with the front edge of the second sidewall and a rear edge aligned with the rear edge of the second sidewall and extending outwardly away from the interior opening of the stiffening strut by a distance in a range of one-sixteenth ( 1/16) inch to one-eighth (⅛) inch; and 
 f. a top formed from an extension of the top side edge of the first sidewall extending inwardly to form part of the top and the top side edge of the second sidewall extending inwardly to form part of the top and integrally formed together along a longitudinal center of the top extending from said front edge of the stiffening strut to the rear edge of the stiffening strut, the top including a central stiffening rib extending from a front edge of the top to a rear edge of the top and extending inwardly and downwardly by a distance in the range of one-sixteenth ( 1/16) inch to one-eighth (⅛) inch into the opening of the stiffening strut, the central stiffening rib in the top formed along a location where the two inwardly extending top side edges are integrally formed and extending into adjacent locations of said two inwardly extending side edges; 
 g. whereby said outer edge of said first mounting sleeve is aligned with said top end of said top widthwise panel and said stiffening strut is affixed to the rear of said top widthwise panel of said garage door by fastening means selected from the group consisting of screws and rivets extending through a respective one of the multiplicity of openings in the respective first mounting sleeve and second mounting sleeve and into a respective aligned stiffening stile, the stiffening strut extending away from the back of said top widthwise panel of said garage door. 
 
     
     
       4. The stiffening strut in accordance with  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a. said first sidewall having a given height and said first stiffening rib in said first sidewall is located at approximately one-third of said given height of said first sidewall and said second stiffening rib in said first sidewall is located at approximately two-thirds of said given height of said first sidewall; and 
 b. said second sidewall having a given height, and said first stiffening rib in said second sidewall is located at approximately one-third of said given height of said second sidewall and said second stiffening rib in said second sidewall is located at approximately two-thirds of said given height of said second sidewall.